Roberto de Zerbi ‘has no intention’ of leaving Brighton and Hove Albion if a club like Tottenham comes calling for him.
That’s according to Gazzetta dello Sport, who say the Italian coach wants to take Brighton, who he sees as ‘his creature’, as high as he possibly can.
The newspaper explains that De Zerbi has a contract with the Seagulls until 2026, from which he earns €5m a year net.
He’s been a massive success since signing arriving in September last year, with Brighton currently competing for Europe and into the FA Cup semi-finals.
That’s led to De Zerbi being discussed for a possible transfer and Tottenham have included him in their list of replacements for Antonio Conte should he leave in the summer as expected.
Brighton were aware they could face a fight to keep their manager when they hired him and included a clause ‘providing compensation’ should there be an early divorce between the two parties.
He knows what he has at Brighton, and has even hinted in an interview with the newspaper he would turn down interest from the likes of Tottenham should it arrive.
“I accepted (Brighton) for two reasons: the first is because I had studied the team and I liked it, even if it was a bit far from my idea,” he told the newspaper.
“The second is that the first meeting in London with the president, general manager and general manager lasted five hours, but it made me understand a lot.
“I say that this Brighton is the team that most resembles me, the one in which I recognise myself the most character-wise, the one with which I had the most human relationship, the most harmony.
“It is a streamlined club where there is not too much mess and they give me the freedom to work as I want and need.
“And then I liked the team: my collaborators Andrea Maldera and Marcello Quinto and I each watched 3-4 games before accepting, then we weighed up the pros and cons. And we said yes.
“Before coming here it (English football) didn’t appeal to me. Instead it was love at first sight. And today I recognise how lucky I am to have arrived here, in the Premier League, but also to have found such a strong team, with the right guys and good people.”
